A boudoir shoot likewise the whole luxury day was planned according to Emilia's wishes
*The pampering shooting day was arranged in collaboration with different entrepreneurs. As a collaboration, the winner was able to stay at Solo Sokos Hotel Turun Seurahuone, and we got the hotel room for the day of the shoot. A delicious breakfast was offered to us by Turku Seurahuone and a delicious lunch by restaurant Gunnar.
In my previous post, I told about the wonderful upcoming pampering raffle, which we arranged together with other top professionals. Our shooting day was a sunny day in February, which was perfect according to everyone's excited and happy mood. Before our shooting day, our winner Emilia had her hair pampered by a professional hairstylist Sirkku Lampiniemi at the Yazz Hair barbershop in Turku. Emilia hadn't been to a hairdresser in the last four years and was beamingly happy with her new hair look. You can check out the wonderful transformation on Sirkku's Instagram account.
The morning started with breakfast at the hotel Seurahuone in Turku, where I went together with our wonderful stylist Effi, craving for coffee. With a full stomach, after a few cups of coffee and a versatile breakfast, we went together to the boutique clothing store Vilona Store in downtown Turku, where we borrowed some wonderful & stylish clothes for our shoot. Effi had inquired beforehand about Emilia's wishes, favorite color and clothing style. Emilia's wishes, combined with Effi's unfailing eye for style, created an absolutely cheerful, fresh, powerful and beautiful look, of which Emilia's favorite was the yellow-green spring dress shown in the pictures. For the giveaway, Vilona Store also gave the winner a 100€ gift card to their wonderful store in addition to a clothing loan. I'm looking forward to what Emilia chooses from the Vilona Store, maybe that pretty lime-colored dress? I know from experience that it will be difficult to choose from the Vilona Store because everything is so beautiful, soft, and high-quality there. In Vilona Store you can always get help, tips, and friendly service, you just have to open the front door to get a smile on your face.
The most important person is you
Always in a boudoir shoot, such as now Emilia was the most important person for us. Her wishes were listened to from every moment to the last. As a hair professional, Sirkku, one of Turku's brightest stars, fulfilled Emilia's wishes according to her hair even before the shooting day. On the morning of the shooting day, Emilia got a relaxing facial treatment at the atmospheric salon of beautician & make-up artist Meliina Savela on Hämeenkatu in Turku. After the moisturizing facial treatment, Meliina created radiant makeup for Emilia according to her wishes and how wonderfully the makeup highlighted Emilia's addictively gorgeous eyes!
The joy of working together with other female entrepreneurs is so great that it's hard to even put it into words. I work alone most of the time, except for lovely shoots with my clients, so these moments and days created together are really meaningful. The whole day one can share thoughts, laugh together, plan, casually chat and indulge yourself into a happy & bubbly feeling that carries through the long, but so unique, day.
Boudoir shoot just for you
Boudoir shoot and photos are probably still better known as a gift to your spouse, at least here in Finland. Sensual photos are known as a gift, which is given to the spouse on the morning of your wedding day. In my opinion there doesn't need to be any special reason for a boudoir shoot, a partner to whom the photos are given or a certain celebration for which to come to the photo shoot. Of course you can, but you don't have to. Boudoir shoot can bring so much good starting from the moment of booking, when you realize that you dared to take a step towards your own dream or perhaps your biggest fear.
Even booking a boudoir shoot can be exciting and many postpone making the reservation for years. For many, it is due to insecurities related to the appearance of the body, even disgust, or the fact that they are still waiting for that "then when" moment in life. Based on my experience and what I have heard, I can shorten your waiting time by telling you that there will be no such perfect "then when" moment. It is here and now. There will never be such a perfect, happy, balanced, satisfied, or easy moment in life if it is not in this moment.
You and your body are never the wrong kind. You are not ugly, worthless, shocking, horrible, or terrible. Not now, not tomorrow, not ever. You will never get better, even if your body changes. It always changes, has changed since birth, and will change until six feet under. That's how it should be because life isn't the same from day to day or year to year. Body, life, mind, and appearance change, but regardless our body supports us. Defends, protects, and carries through life. Sometimes you don't like your body as it is right now or it may look or feel not as your own but that's normal.
You are not alone, I think everyone feels that way sometimes. However, it doesn't make your body or you any uglier or worse. On the contrary, from the moment your mind thinks like that, your body still takes you to the next day, the next year. I don't believe we should love every bump, show them off by force, or love every feature and cell. I believe that we should be, move, enjoy, adventure, experiment, and exist, experience the life that our body takes us through. Sometimes carrying a new life, sometimes illness, sometimes such a heavy emotional load that everything feels dark.
I believe that a boudoir shoot can be something new that shows you how brave you are when you dared to jump into it despite your fear. Allow yourself to see, feel and experience yourself differently than through anger, disgust, or insecurity. Not even the pictures, but the whole experience of what you dare or want to do and give yourself is hugely meaningful. Dare to be on your side, face uncertainties, trust, and indulge yourself. It is important and valuable, just like you are.
Each of us has a different story, therefore everyone's shoot is also different. Our pampering luxury day included so much new and exciting, that's why it was important for all of us to listen to Emilia's wishes and opinions from the beginning. That's what I do in every shoot as well. Everything starts from your wishes and thoughts. In the shoot, the safest, most comfortable and most pleasant thing for Emilia was to be in Vilona Store's wonderful clothes & look chosen by Effi. She wanted to keep the delicate and sensual photos with underwear only to herself, as her own treasure. It is a wish that I'll always respect and appreciate. Everyone can and should have something of their own, just for themselves. This was also the case now, even though it was a lottery.
Together we stand
With a large group of professionals and with great cooperation, we managed to create such a great, comprehensive and wonderful raffle & shooting day. I strongly believe that together we are more. You don't always have to do, perform, create or arrange alone, but you can do it together. This is also how I work with each of my clients, I always encourage planning together. To create together, to reflect together and to solve puzzling things together. As far as I can see together we stand.
I will help you in every step of the boudoir shoot experience and I'm not going to leave you alone. Whether your question is related to the fulfilling of the shoot, the choice of the milieu, clothes or payments, I'm always really happy to help. I feel very lucky when every now and then I get to experience something so memorable and special together with other entrepreneurs. I always have a professional that I can warmly recommend to you if you need a stylist, make-up artist, hairdresser, shooting milieu or clothing store. I was excited to ask these wonderful people to participate in this raffle, which was created by me, but luckily I opened my mouth and was encouraged to ask. Usually asking is the hardest part, but when you say things out loud, things start to happen. That's what happened now also and I got to share this sunny, happy, and memorable day full of loud laughter with stylist Effi Bangura, make-up artist Meliina Savela, hair stylist Sirkku Lampiniemi, boutique clothing store Vilona and Solo Sokos Hotel Turun Seurahuone. Sometimes I even surprise myself with how amazing and touching moments I get to live & capture! It's worth trying, it's worth daring, good things happen when you dare to take the first step for yourself. You are worthy of everything good and love. Here and NOW.